‘Help is coming’: UN relief chief briefs on Venezuela quake recovery
8 July 2026
Humanitarian AidThe widespread solidarity shown to Venezuela must now be transformed into real, practical support for recovery from the deadly double earthquakes last month, UN relief chief Tom Fletcher said on Wednesday.
“People are in shock and despair; formal meetings are not enough,” he said in a virtual briefing from the capital, Caracas, alongside representatives of the UN, Brazil, Türkiye, United States, Venezuela and the European Commission.The quakes have killed more than 3,500 people and injured at least 16,740 others, and 6,462 people have been rescued, according to the UN relief agency, OCHA.Providing a snapshot of ongoing post-quake efforts involving 200 partners across Member States and the UN system, Mr. Fletcher said humanitarian needs remain significant, with many communities requiring relief as search and rescue efforts wind down.Tonnes of lifesaving emergency supplies have already arrived, but more sustained and coordinated support is needed.‘Is help coming?’During a visit on Tuesday in hard-hit La Guaira amid the sounds and sporadic silences of bulldozers and rescuers digging through rubble, Mr. Fletcher recalled meeting a group of mothers who returned to the site daily with hopes that their children would be found.“Those mothers asked me last night ‘is help coming?’” the UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator said.“Today’s meeting is our response to that. There can only be one answer to that question.”
